Question 1

A psychologist who is discussing the causes of racism and prejudice argues that these negative beliefs are caused primarily by people's needs to enhance their self-esteem and to feel good about themselves.This psychologist's explanation is most consistent with

Accepted Answer

The psychologist's explanation is most consistent with social identity theory, which posits that individuals derive self-esteem from the groups to which they belong and may therefore develop negative beliefs and attitudes towards outgroups in order to enhance their own self-esteem.

Question 2

Gerri's boyfriend wants her to type his term paper for him,so he first asks her to type the cover page.After she does this,he then asks her to type the whole paper.Gerri appears to be a potential victim of

Accepted Answer

The foot-in-the-door technique is a persuasion tactic in which a person first makes a small request and then follows up with a larger request. In this scenario, Gerri's boyfriend first asked her to type the cover page, which was a small request. Then, he capitalized on her compliance and asked her to type the entire paper, which was a larger request. This technique is often used to manipulate people into doing something they might not have agreed to initially.

Question 3

People are most likely to aggress against another person when they perceive that the other person's behaviour was

Accepted Answer

Research has found that people are most likely to aggress when they perceive that the other person's behavior was intentional and controllable. This can be due to a desire for revenge or the belief that the person could have acted differently.

Question 4

Consider the following scenario: when discussing her recent grades,Sherri indicated that she did very well in Math and attributes her success to studying very hard.Even though she studied equally hard for Chemistry,Sherri failed the exam but explains this failure in terms of her unfair professor. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

This scenario exemplifies the self-serving bias, which is the tendency for individuals to attribute their successes to internal and dispositional factors (such as their own hard work and abilities) and their failures to external and situational factors (such as an unfair professor). Therefore, Sherri's explanation for her Math success aligns with the self-serving bias, while her explanation for her Chemistry failure does not.

Question 5

Jon and Madison have been dating for several weeks and are both considering making their relationship exclusive and not seeing other people.According to the work on close relationships ,their relationship will tend to grow closer and deeper if

Accepted Answer

According to the work on close relationships, self-disclosure, or the sharing of personal information and feelings, is a crucial component in the development of close, intimate relationships. As Jon and Madison consider making their relationship exclusive, increasing self-disclosure can help them grow closer and deepen their connection. While sexual intimacy can also play a role in relationship development, it is not the only or even the most important factor. Additionally, exceeding expectations and having no other reasonable alternative relationships can contribute to relationship satisfaction, but these factors alone may not necessarily lead to a deeper connection. Friend opinions may also be important, but ultimately it is Jon and Madison's own feelings and experiences that will determine the success and growth of their relationship.

Question 6

You watch a commercial for running shoes in which a very famous athlete claims that they use the shoes and they are the best.You decide to buy the shoes.You have been influenced by

Accepted Answer

The commercial appeals to the peripheral route to persuasion by using a famous athlete to endorse the running shoes. The focus is not on the actual quality of the shoes themselves but rather on the status and credibility of the athlete. This is an example of peripheral persuasion, in which people are influenced by superficial or secondary factors rather than the actual message or argument being presented.

Question 7

After conducting a series of interviews,the members of the hiring committee feel fairly positive about Ms.Rajwa.After discussing her performance during the interview,the committee members feel even more positive about this job candidate.This is best considered an example of

Accepted Answer

This scenario describes group polarization, which occurs when a group becomes more extreme in their opinions or attitudes after discussing them collectively. In this case, the hiring committee initially had a positive view of Ms. Rajwa individually after conducting interviews, but after discussing their individual opinions as a group, they became even more positive about her as a job candidate.

Question 8

The text makes an important distinction between ___________,which refers to a negative attitude toward people based on their membership in a group,and ___________,which is concerned with actually treating people unfairly based on their group membership.

Accepted Answer

The text specifically states that prejudice refers to a negative attitude toward people based on their group membership, while discrimination is concerned with actually treating people unfairly based on their group membership. The other options presented in the question do not accurately reflect this distinction.

Question 9

A stranger has collapsed on a city sidewalk due to a heart attack.According to Darley and Latané,what is the first thing that must happen before a bystander helps in this emergency?

Accepted Answer

According to Darley and Latané, the first thing that must happen before a bystander helps in an emergency is that they must have seen a helpful role model. This is known as social modeling, where individuals learn and adopt behaviors by observing others. Seeing someone else help in a similar situation can increase one's motivation to help in a similar situation.

Question 10

The Asch conformity results involving the judgement of line lengths are all the more startling because the study did not employ any

Accepted Answer

The Asch conformity study did not employ open, obvious pressure to conform, yet participants still conformed to the incorrect answer chosen by the majority. This suggests that even subtle social pressures can influence an individual's behavior.

Question 11

To use the door-in-the-face technique for persuasion you must first

Accepted Answer

The door-in-the-face technique starts by asking for a large favour that is likely to be rejected. This initial request sets the stage for a later, smaller request that is more likely to be accepted, due to the perceived concession being made. Asking for a small favour first (option A) or general agreement (option C) are not part of this technique. Reminding the other person of past help (option D) may be useful in other persuasion techniques, but not specifically for door-in-the-face. Option E is not a requirement for door-in-the-face.

Question 12

You are conducting a conformity experiment patterned after the one utilized by Solomon Asch.Under which of the following conditions would you expect conformity to be the highest (i.e. ,the most people will conform)?

Accepted Answer

According to Solomon Asch's research, the level of conformity increased as the number of confederates in the group increased up to a certain point (around 4 or 5 individuals). Therefore, choice A - when there are four confederates in the group - would be the condition where conformity would be the highest. Financial incentives (choice B) would not necessarily impact conformity in this experiment since the task is easy and there is no punishment for incorrect answers. Choice C - when there are two confederates in the group - may still produce some level of conformity, but not as high as with 4 confederates. Similarly, the presence of at least one dissenter (choice D) may decrease conformity, but not necessarily eliminate it completely. Finally, while having two people in the group (choice E) may lead to some conformity, it is not as likely as with four confederates.

Question 13

Self-perception theory asserts that

Accepted Answer

Self-perception theory asserts that people infer their attitudes from watching their own behaviors, just as they do when watching others. It suggests that people do not always have pre-existing attitudes, and instead, they may observe their own behavior and then use that observation to determine what their attitudes are. This is known as the self-perception process.

Question 14

Based on the findings of Milgram's research,which of the following led to the greatest decrease in harmful obedience in the study?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Based on the findings of Milgram's research,which...

Question 15

You see an individual on the bus punch someone else in the nose.You immediately conclude that the first person is very aggressive.You have just committed the

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overemphasize dispositional (personal) explanations for someone's behavior and underemphasize situational explanations. In this scenario, the observer is assuming that the individual who punched someone is naturally aggressive, without considering any situational factors that may have contributed to their behavior.

Question 16

Suppose that someone has just opened a new night club and you freely choose to carry a big,obnoxious,heavy sign advertising this business around campus for three hours on a very hot day.According to _____________,you would probably rate this activity as the most enjoyable (or the least boring)if someone paid you _____ to do it.

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that when there is a discrepancy between beliefs and behaviors, individuals will adjust their beliefs to reduce the dissonance. Being paid only $1 for a disagreeable task would lead to greater dissonance than being paid $25, thus one would be more likely to rationalize the activity as enjoyable to justify the effort for such little reward.

Question 17

Krista has been in a romantic relationship with Alek for several months.Initially,her feelings for her partner were very intense and ranged from ecstatic highs when seeing her partner to sometimes heart-breaking lows when her partner was away.These feelings have faded somewhat,and more recently,she has also noticed more feelings of affection and caring for her partner.The difference between her initial and recent feelings best demonstrates the difference between Sternberg's

Accepted Answer

The initial intense feelings Krista experienced (ecstatic highs and heart-breaking lows) align with Sternberg's passionate love, while the more recent feelings of affection and caring align with companionate love. Therefore, the difference between her initial and recent feelings demonstrates the difference between passionate love and companionate love.

Question 18

After Gerri reluctantly agreed to type her boyfriend's psychology term paper,he told her it might actually be 75 pages long.Gerri appears to be a potential victim of

Accepted Answer

The boyfriend is using the low-ball technique by presenting a smaller request (asking Gerri to type the paper) and then revealing the true extent of the request (the paper being 75 pages long) after she has already agreed. This technique often results in compliance due to the feeling of commitment to the initial request.

Question 19

Which of the following characteristics would be the least likely to enhance the persuasiveness of a communicator?

Accepted Answer

A communicator who is highly directive may come across as pushy or authoritarian, which could decrease their persuasiveness. Flexibility and allowing the listener to make their own decision can often be more effective.

Question 20

In a psychology experiment,the experimenter forces you to write a counterattitudinal essay in favour of raising tuition.After you do so,you asked what you really think about raising tuition.According to the theory of cognitive dissonance,you will

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a psychology experiment,the experimenter forces you...

Quiz 13: Behaviour in a Social Context